Little and Broken, but Still Good
by Script Savage
Summary: "You used to be to Broken to talk back" Some wounds never really heal, and the road to recovery isn't always easy. It's good thing Ventus has Terra and Aqua to help him along the way.
1. The Long Road Ahead

**Disclaimer: I'm getting really tired of writing these things, so I'm just going to say it once: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. **

**Here we go again! **

**To be completely honest, I was planning on getting back to **_**The Stuff of Heroes **_**and **_**Escapade**_**, and then, while I was reading some of **_**Arcawolf**_**'s ****brilliant work, this story just demanded to be written. It has nothing to do with any of those stories, I was just really intrigued by how well (**_The author's bio doesn't mention whether they are male or female, so I'm just going to use "they" or "their" to avoid stepping on any toes._**) they portrayed Vanitas as a tragic villain. I mean, yeah, he's definitely psycho, but he also didn't have the nicest of upbringings either. Thus, this fic was born. For anyone who happens to be interested in my other works, previously mentioned, regular updates will resume after the conclusion of **_**Dead Men Stalking**_**.**

**It's mainly about the relationship Ventus has with Terra and Aqua—the family ties he has with them were touched on in BBS, but I wanted to dig a little deeper into his character; he was with Xehanort at first, so I would imagine that he must've had to work through some pretty serious issues to become the happy, lighthearted person he was for most of BBS…**

*****Warnings*** This story contains some dark themes, mentions/descriptions of past abuse, self-harm, and some non-sexual ageplay. Please read with caution, or feel free to skip this one if this isn't your cup of tea.**

**Without further adieu, I present:**

_**Little and Broken, But Still Good**_

_Chapter I: The Long Road Ahead_

As far as Aqua knows, the Master isn't expecting any visitors.

The Land of Departure is a relatively small, out of the way world, insignificant when compared to the rest of the vast cosmos in which she and her fellow Keyblade Apprentice, Terra, reside. It is here that she and her friend study under the watchful eye of Master Eraqus, hoping to one day attain the title of Keyblade Master, and be able to explore the worlds for themselves.

They don't often get visitors; Eraqus works very hard to minimize distractions to they can focus—and when they do, it's often the same man.

Xehanort.

Aqua doesn't know very much about him, honestly, only that he and Master Eraqus were close, once, but they had a falling-out and don't speak much anymore.

So, when the aging bald man with the creepy yellow eyes and neatly-trimmed facial hair arrives late in the evening with a little boy in tow, it's more than a little surprising.

Upon further scrutiny, she realizes that something's…_off_ about the boy. His posture is weak, shoulders slumped forward as if he's carrying a heavy burden; his eyes are dull and lifeless, they hold none of the youthful exuberance and wonder she's expecting to see.

"That boy…Is he okay?" she asks, thinking out loud.

"I'll go see." Terra offers and disappears down the stairs.

The balcony where she and Terra are practicing is too high up for her to hear what Xehanort and Eraqus are talking about, but they quickly disappear from view, leaving the little boy alone in the large, empty reception hall.

Terra enters the room a moment after they've disappeared, greeting the boy before she's even moved away from the railing. She can't hear him either, but his body language suggests relief as he pantomimes wiping sweat from his brow. He turns and waves at her.

"Aqua, c'mere!"

Aqua takes a deep breath and heads down to the lobby at her friend's request, leaning down to look the boy in the eyes. His eyes are blank, glassy, all color and no pupil. It's…extremely unsettling, but she keeps her discomfort from showing.

"Hi," she says, slowly, and the boy cocks his head at her. "I'm Aqua."

"Terra…Aqua…" the boy says, looking at each of them in turn.

"So," Terra begins, his voice soft and friendly; no doubt he's trying to make the boy feel comfortable. "Are you here to train with us?"

The boy's eyes cloud over, as though he's thinking very hard about what he wants to say, and there's a flash of primal fear in his eyes.

"Who was that man with you? You good with a Keyblade?" Terra continues without waiting for a response.

The boy groans, his distress growing with each question, until finally, he cries out and collapses to his knees, head clutched in his hands.

"Whoa! What's'matter?" Terra lunges forward, hand out to steady the boy, in the same instant that Aqua blurts:

"Are you okay?"

"What did you _do_?" Master Eraqus' voice is sharp and commanding from behind them; the tone of his voice makes it clear that he's not going to wait very long for an answer.

"Nothing!" Terra fumbles. "I just asked him some stuff."

Aqua almost reaches out to squeeze his hand, she knows he was only trying to make their guest feel welcome, and honestly, there was no reason to expect…well…_that_.

"Ventus cannot tell you anything; because he cannot remember anything." He says.

Aqua turns to look at the boy—Ventus—and is surprised to see Xehanort cradling him. The older man never struck her as a touchy-feely kind of person…

There is a long, terribly uncomfortable silence as the four people wait to see if the Ventus will regain consciousness. After several minutes pass with no change, they decide to move him to one of the castle's spare rooms; Xehanort seems relieved when Eraqus says that he will handle the situation from this point on, and he takes his leave.

The boy looks even smaller now, nestled in the covers of a large bed, one even Terra, with his height, would be comfortable in.

"I have a few things to take care of," Eraqus says once they've gotten Ventus settled. "I'll be in my office if you need me." With that, he exits the room in a flutter of white robes.

"I'm gonna go back to training for a while." Terra says. "You coming?"

Aqua shakes her head. "I'm going to stay with Ven for a little bit in case he wakes up—he's been through a lot, I think…I don't want him to wake up by himself."

Terra nods. "Makes sense. That's…that's really nice of you to do that."

Aqua would swear there's a touch more color in Terra's cheeks when he says this, but it's gone before she can be sure it was even there in the first place.

"Thanks," Aqua replies, grateful that he noticed, and glad that he's being supportive.

"I'll be inside on the balcony, if you need anything." He says

"Alright,"

Terra waves and is gone.

Aqua pulls up a chair next to Ventus' bed, and settles in to wait.

_*****L&B*****_

Aqua's intuition serves her well; she's only been in the room for an hour at most, when Ventus begins tossing and turning restlessly on the bed.

His brow furrows and he begins to sweat, mumbling to himself.

Aqua reaches over to gently shake him by the shoulder. "Ventus? Ventus, wake up."

Ventus doesn't respond, but his thrashing gets worse. Tears leak out of the corner of his eyes. "Please master! I'm not strong enough, don't do this to me!" he mutters, trembling.

"Ventus, wake up, it's just a dream." Aqua's considerably more alarmed now—her earlier hunch that Ventus has been through something seriously traumatic seems to be correct...

Shaking him hasn't worked, and with the way he's tossing around, he probably can't feel it anyway, she realizes. She reaches over and smooths the sweat-damp hair out of his face.

"Ven, it's okay. You're safe. It's just a dream"

That does it.

Ventus' eyes snap open, and he gasps.

"Ven, relax, you're safe." Aqua says gently, rubbing his arm. "It's alright. It was only a dream." She lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

Ventus sits up, his small frame trembling as he clenches his fists, breathing heavily.

"You okay?" Aqua questions, reaching over to rub his back comfortingly—her jerks away from her touch as though she's burned him

He makes a choked noise in the back of his throat, shoulders shaking. His breath comes in ragged heaves, and his fists clench tighter until crimson rivulets slip between his fingers to drip onto the sheets.

"Ven, stop! You're hurting yourself!" Aqua's commanding tone doesn't quite mask the horror she feels at seeing him do this to himself.

Ventus freezes, staring at Aqua with big, innocent, tortured eyes, pleading with her. _Don't hurt me….please. I'll be good, I promise. Just…don't hurt me. _He turns away from her, curling up into the smallest ball he possibly can.

Aqua's heart gives a painful twinge and she opens her arms to him. "C'mere Ven. I won't hurt you; your're safe here, I promise. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm sorry!" Ventus lunges across the bed into her open arms as the dam bursts, tears streaming down his face. "I'll do better! Just give me another chance! Please, don't hurt me!" He curls up in Aqua's lap—he doesn't weigh much either, which is almost as unsettling as his current state of distress.

Aqua hugs him, rubbing his back, stroking his hair, trying anything and everything she can think of to calm him down. "It's okay, Ven, I won't hurt you, I promise. You're safe here. No one's going to hurt you." She reassures him, rocking him ever so gently as he continues to sob into her chest, soaking her shirt.

Ventus clings to her as though his life depends on it, fisting her shirt as his body trembles.

After a long time, he pulls back from her, sniffling. "S-sorry. I couldn't help it. I didn't mean to be weak."

Aqua shushes him, wiping his tears away with her thumbs; he tenses at the contact. She reaches for a tissue on the nightstand and holds it up to his face.

"Blow," she instructs, tossing the used tissue into the wastebasket after he follows her instructions.

"Are you mad?" Ventus wonders.

Aqua just blinks, struggling to wrap her mind around Ventus' question. "No, of course I'm not mad. Why in Light would you think that?"

"Emotion is a weakness," Ventus says, and his voice is dull, lifeless, robotic.

"You're not weak, Ventus." Aqua says.

"But…I was crying and—"

"That's perfectly normal. It's healthy. That's how we deal with our emotions sometimes. There's nothing wrong with having a good cry when you need it." Aqua rubs his back, hoping to soothe him. Her heart breaks for him—these kinds of ideas aren't something he'd have come up with on his own.

"Really?" Ventus looks skeptical, but he doesn't outright argue with her—she takes that as progress.

"Really." Aqua leans forward and presses a kiss to the little boy's forehead, because it feels right, and for a moment, she's terrified that she's overstepped, that she's violated his clearly fragile trust in some irreparable way but he just leans into her and rests his head on her shoulder; and she knows she's made the right decision.

"Know what makes me feel better when I'm sad?" she poses after a moment. "Hot chocolate. And Terra makes the best hot chocolate in the worlds. Want to go see if he'll make us some?"

"Okay," Ventus says quietly. He clambers down off her lap and wanders toward the door. "Uh…Which way is the kitchen?" He wonders.

Aqua smiles down at him, hoping to give him some kind of reassurance that she's not holding his perfectly-understandable meltdown against him. "This way." She says. "Don't worry, it took me a while to find my way around at first too. You'll get used to it in no time."

Ventus smiles then and trails after her.

**That's a wrap for the first chapter! Let me know what you think, I need to make sure I'm doing this right. I have a lot planned for this fic, but I want to make sure people like it before I continue with it.**

**If you think it sucks, let me know what to fix and I'll do my best.**

**Also, if you get a minute, please check out the poll on my profile regarding this story, I'd really appreciate some feedback if you have time...**

**See you next chapter! (Hopefully)**

**~Script**


	2. And Hold Me Like You'll Never Let Me Go

**If you haven't already seen it, please check out the poll on my profile regarding the content of this fic. The content in the poll will not be overly descriptive, but I know it's a squick for some people, so I wanted to get a majority opinion before I go ahead with it…**

*****WARNINGS***: Descriptions of injuries caused by abuse/torture and attempted self-harm. Please use good judgement before proceeding.**

**On with the show!**

_**Chapter II: And Hold Me Like You'll Never Let Me Go**_

Aqua's fingertips are tingling; Ventus is holding onto her as though she's going to disappear if he lets go, even for a second.

"Aqua?" Ven's voice is low and shy and nervous. "What's hot chocolate?" he wonders.

"You've never had it?" Aqua replies with a question of her own.

Ven shakes his head.

"Ooh, you're in for a treat. It's a really tasty drink," she explains. "It makes you feel all nice and warm inside, and it's really sweet."

"Oh." Ven murmurs. He's quiet the rest of the way to the kitchen—Aqua can't tell if he's embarrassed about his earlier breakdown, or if he's just nervous because he's in a new place and doesn't know where anything is; it could easily be a little of both.

"Terra, do you mind making us some hot chocolate?" Aqua says as she enters the kitchen; Terra's already there, making himself a snack.

"Sure." He pauses to smile at Ventus, kneeling so the two of them are at eye level. "How are you feeling?" Terra scratches the back of his head absently, his cheeks coloring. "I'm really sorry about the question overload earlier, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything…"

Ven just shrugs. "'S'okay. It wasn't your fault. Thanks for trying to make me feel welcome, anyway."

Terra claps his hands briskly and smiles. "Well, now that that's out of the way, are your taste buds ready to be blown away?"

Ven smiles. "Sure!"

"Great, now, in order for this to work, I need a volunteer from the audience to assist with the preparation of this amazing beverage. Any takers?"

Aqua grins, mostly because it's amusing to see Terra being a ham, since he's normally so intense and focused; he doesn't normally loosen up this much.

Ven raises his hand. "Can I help?"

Terra's grin is broad and infectious; Aqua can't help but smile too, though her smile is more _for _him than _at_ him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" Terra announces in a showman's voice. He hands Ven an imaginary microphone. "Tell everyone your name, kiddo."

"Ventus. But, my friends call me Ven."

"Alright, Ven, the first ingredient I need is the cocoa powder. It's in the cabinet closest to you on the top shelf."

Ventus looks thoroughly put out when he realizes that he won't be able to reach it.

Aqua is quick to remedy the situation, bringing him a chair from the table in the dining room.

"I can't reach either," she tells him conspiratorially, smiling.

Ventus relaxes visibly, and Terra nods his thanks to Aqua.

The young woman lets out a breath. Crisis averted. She keeps a closer eye on Ven, and only then does she realize how careful and deliberate his movements are; how his smile doesn't touch his eyes. It dawns on her that he's a brilliant actor, because she was almost convinced that he was really, truly happy until now, and she quietly wonders what else is bothering him.

Ventus maintains his façade throughout the activity, however, his control slips when he knocks the jug of milk over, spilling it onto the countertop. His reaction is immediate; he lunges for the towel draped over the oven door handle, his other hand flying up to protect his head, as though he expects to be struck.

"Sorrysorrysorry!" Ven stammers, mopping frantically at the spill. He continues attacking the mess like his life depends on it, until Terra takes him gently by the shoulders.

"Hey. It's alright. Accidents happen, it's not a big deal." Terra very gently takes the boy's chin in his hands and looks him in the eye. "See?" he continues carefully prizing the dish rag out of Ven's death-grip to finish cleaning up the spill without any of the urgency or panic that Ven exhibited.

"No muss, no fuss. Good as new."

Ven's stare is blank and dead. "Feckless, worthless neophyte. A disappointment to my sight." Ventus moves robotically over to the block of knives next to the stove. He carefully selects one of the smaller ones without acknowledging Terra.

"For sins uncleansed by will and might, a scourge of pain shall set things right." He offers the knife to Terra, who takes it, brow furrowing.

"Ven, what are you…doing?" Terra's tone changes from confused to horrified as Ventus slowly removes his shirt and kneels in front of the chair Aqua brought over earlier, bracing himself against it with his head bowed.

"Kingdom Hearts…" Terra gasps, appalled. "Aqua…you have to see this…" his voice is choked, thick with emotion, and that alone is enough to unsettle the blue-haired Keyblade apprentice.

"Dear Light…" Aqua covers her mouth in abject horror.

Thin, pink lines of scar tissue crisscross Ventus' back in a horrible display of tally marks across his flesh. The markings cover the entire expanse of his skin from his shoulders, down to the middle of his back.

"Wasting food, and inconveniencing my hosts. These are my transgressions. I shall accept my penance, my lord." Ventus says, almost managing to hide the trembling in his voice.

"Light, _no_!" Terra exclaims, placing the knife on the counter with more force than is appropriate, grim realization etched into his face.

"No, no, no, Ven. Absolutely not! We would never dream of doing anything like that to _anyone_, especially not a sweet little boy like you. That's terrible!" Aqua exclaims, pulling the younger boy into a tight, desperate embrace.

Ventus calmly frees himself and turns to face her. Aqua has to fight back tears when she realizes that she can count Ventus' ribs. "I…I don't understand…Haven't I done wrong? I spilled your milk, wasted your food. Aren't you angry with me?"

"No, of course not!" Aqua assures him. "It was an accident, Ven. It's okay. And we have plenty of food, you don't have to worry about that."

"You mean you're not going to punish me?" Ven seems genuinely confused, and Aqua's heart breaks for him.

"No, Ven. No I will not. And neither will Terra. That's not how we do things." Aqua tells him, appalled.

"I see." Ven says, completely without emotion. "As you wish…" he moves over to take the knife back off the counter, and takes the band off his left wrist, revealing more, smaller tally marks. He takes a breath, steadies his hand and moves the knife toward his flesh.

"_Ven stop!_" Terra's voice is frantic, and the countless hours of training he's had up until now, serve him well; he manages to stop the younger boy before he can hurt himself.

He takes the knife from Ventus and returns it to the block by the stove. He kneels down in front of the boy, taking him by the shoulders gently.

"Ven. I want you to listen to me very carefully. I'm not angry with you, but I need you to understand me. What you just did is very, very dangerous. You could seriously hurt yourself, or even die."

"No one would miss me," Ven says, his voice bitter and jaded.

"That's not true, Ven," Terra says. "I would miss you, and I know Aqua would too. I want you to promise me that you will _never, ever _do that again. Do you think you can do that?"

"Why do you care? You don't even know me." Ven retorts, his voice raw, eyes welling with tears. "Just stop it, okay! Whatever game you're playing, cut it out! I know I'm worthless, alright. I'm no good. I screw up everything I touch! So stop pretending to like me!"

"Ven," Terra reaches out toward the blonde, but the younger boy flinches away.

"Leave me alone!" With that, he turns and flees from the room.

Terra sighs heavily. "What did I do?" he wonders.

"It's not your fault, Terra. He's clearly been through a lot, and someone has completely destroyed his self-esteem. I'll try to talk him down…Can you go tell the master what happened?"

"Sure." Terra strides quickly and purposefully out of the room, Aqua hot on his heels as she attempts to track down their wayward friend.

_*****L&B*****_

The sound of muffled sobbing coming from inside the bathroom is a good sign, if only because it means that Ventus is still alive.

With the amount of trauma he's been through and his current state of mind, Aqua wouldn't put it past him to try something…rash. She tries the door, unsurprised that he locked it, but growing more worried by the second.

"Ven? Ven,, sweetie are you okay? It's Aqua; I'm really worried about you." Her words come tumbling out in a rush, tripping and crashing into one another.

"Go away!" Ven snarls, and the door shudders violently under some sort of impact.

"I can't do that, Ven" Aqua tells him gently, fighting the instinct that urges her to just break down the door. "I need to make sure you're safe, and I can't do that unless I can see you. I don't think it's very safe for you to be in there all by yourself right now…Can I please come in, so I know that you're alright."

"No." Ven refuses sharply, but without venom.

"Do you remember what I promised you Ven? That I would never hurt you?"

There's a long, pregnant pause, and then: "Yes."

"I wouldn't be doing a very good job keeping my promise if I let you hurt yourself, would I?" she reasons.

Another long, uncomfortable silence follows her question. "No…"

"So can I come in?"

Ventus doesn't answer, but after several moments, the door opens.

Aqua kneels down and opens her arms to him. "Come here, little one." She says tenderly, testing the waters, hoping and that her instincts aren't leading her astray.

Ven warily moves in front of her.

"Are you going to punish me now?" Ven wonders.

"No, Ven. You haven't done anything wrong. And even if I were to ever punish you, I would never, ever hurt you. The person who did those thing to you before is a very bad person. It is never okay to hurt someone else, unless your life is in danger." She explains slowly and carefully. "And especially not over something as silly as spilled milk."

"But…that's what I deserve…"

"That's not true. _No one _deserves to be treated like you have been. I know you don't believe me right now, but it's true."

Ven sniffles, his face streaked with tears and snot.

Aqua just wants to hold him, but she knows that unless he lets her do it, he will only distrust her more.

"Can I tell you a secret Ven?"

Ven nods slowly.

"I love you."

Ven just blinks, and stares at her.

"I don't mean the storybook kind, Ven. This is a different kind of love. I mean that It hurts me to see you hurting, whether that be cut or a bruise, or even if you're just really sad. I want to protect you and make sure that no one ever hurts you again. But I can't do that unless you let me." Aqua explains.

"I promise that I will never hit you, Ven, first of all. I will always make sure that you are safe and happy. You don't have to be afraid here. This is a very safe place. I know you're scared, and it's okay to be scared. Life is scary sometimes. But that's why we have our families; they help us when we're scared and they are always there when we need them. Terra and the master are my family, and you can be part of it too, if you want."

Ven just nods slowly.

"I know this is a lot to think about, and I understand that I'm asking a lot of you. But I need you to know that I will always be here to take care of you and protect you as long as you want me to be. That's all."

"O…Okay." Ven says, his voice trembling.

"Do you need a hug?"

Ven lunges into Aqua's open arms, sobbing in earnest, impacting with enough force to knock Aqua onto her backside.

She just sits there, holding Ven close, stroking his hair and whispering to him soothingly as he cries. She rocks him gently, rubbing his back, unsure of how else to hold him together as he's falling apart.

"It's okay, little one." She soothes. "Everything's gonna be okay."

**And that's it for chapter two! I hope you all enjoyed it—Ventus has a lot of issues to work through... Let me know what you think! I don't know whether you like it or not without feedback!**

**Also, if you haven't already done so, please check out the poll on my profile, I'd really appreciate it if you shared your opinion!**

**See you next chapter!**

**~Script**


	3. Thicker Than Water

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and favorite this story so far, as well as those who have responded to the poll! Your support is very much appreciated!**

*****WARNINGS*** : Ageplay is introduced in this chapter—it's something that Ven relies on heavily throughout the story, so expect to see it quite frequently from here on out.**

**On with the show!**

_**Chapter III: Thicker than Water**_

Ven is still crying, and Aqua is exhausted.

Her soul aches for the poor, tormented little boy in her lap—she'd do anything to make him feel better. However, nothing she's tried up to this point has worked, and she's out of ideas.

"It's okay Ven," she rubs his back more, tucking his head under her chin.

From the sound of things, Ven is starting to wear himself out too, his sobs are no longer the great, body-heaving sort that were present at the beginning of his breakdown; they've died down to whimpers and shuddering, and the occasional hiccup as he attempts to bring his breathing back under control.

"Everything okay in here?" Terra's leaning against the doorframe, looking worriedly down at Aqua.

Aqua jumps, startled, and she can feel Ven flinch against her too, but he relaxes once he realizes who it is—or perhaps that's just her imagination.

"We are very tired, and we could use a nice relaxing hot bath, and maybe a snack." Aqua replies, and Terra gets the feeling she's talking more about Ven than herself. "How'd the Master take it?"

"He's…" Terra pauses, brow furrowing as he searches for the right word, and Aqua's heart drops into her stomach in anticipation of more bad news. "Troubled. I don't think he believes that Xehanort is capable of this kind of abuse…and if the two of them talked about what happened to Ven when he was here earlier, the master didn't feel obliged to share that information with me."

"Oh." Aqua twists around awkwardly to look at Terra, running her fingers absently through Ven's hair. "Do you think…"

Terra picks up on what she's trying to say. "Maybe. The guy gives me the creeps anyway, but…I don't know. I'm not saying it was him for sure, but I'm definitely not ruling it out."

Aqua nods. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"I'm going to try to get him into the tub…Do you have any old clothes anywhere that he could use for pajamas?"

"I'm sure I have some somewhere. Let me go look. Do you need anything?" Terra wonders.

"I could use some hot chocolate, or some tea later on, but I'm alright for now. Thanks, Terra."

"No sweat," the oldest apprentice responds. "I'll bring you the clothes when I find them, be right back."

"Okay." Terra disappears from the doorway, leaving Aqua and Ven alone once more.

"Alright little one," Aqua begins tenderly, rubbing Ven's back a little more vigorously to get his attention. "Time for a bath. Or a shower if you want."

Ven slowly pulls away from her, his face red and blotchy from crying. His voice is small when he finally speaks. "You pick." It sounds more like a question than a statement.

Aqua sighs. "Ven, I will pick if you want me to, but I want you to understand that you always have a choice here. I think—and if you don't want to talk about what happened to you before, you don't have to—that someone took that away from you before, and that is not okay. Everyone has a right to decide what happens to them, what they want, what they do or don't like. It's a very cruel thing to take that away from someone."

Ven nods.

"The only time that it would be okay to do that is if someone was making decisions that would hurt themselves or other people. Like…If I decided that I wasn't going to eat, that wouldn't be very good for me would it?"

Ven shakes his head. "Huh-uh,"

"So if I did that and Terra came to me and said that he was going to make sure I ate even if I didn't want to, would that be okay?"

Ven nods.

"Right. So if you want me to pick for you, I will, but I want you to remember that, okay?"

"'Kay. Can you pick?" Ven looks at her, and his voice is so sweet and hopeful that her heart nearly melts.

Aqua nods and pulls Ven in for another hug, ruffling his hair. "I think you should have a bath, they're much more relaxing than showers, anyway." She gently lifts him out of her lap so she can stand and begins running the water for his bath, testing it with her arm to make sure it isn't too hot.

Ven struggles for a moment to unbutton his pants, then he shucks out of them, underwear and all, and climbs into the tub. He doesn't seem embarrassed at all to be completely naked in front of Aqua, and although she's a little uncomfortable at first, she realizes that if Ven isn't bothered by it, then there's no real reason for her to be either.

"Is the water okay?" Aqua asks, pushing away her discomfort.

Ven nods, and actually smiles at her, his teeth bright, eyes shining, a real, genuinely happy grin.

Aqua can't help but smile back at him. "Good. Do you want some privacy, Ven? I can leave if you want, just until you're done."

Ven looks terrified and shakes his head vigorously. "No! Peez! 'Tay wif me!" he almost tries to climb out of the tub, but Aqua places a hand on his shoulder; hoping to head off the impending panic attack written across his face.

"Shh," she soothes. "It's okay honey, I'm not going anywhere if you don't want me to." She assures the little boy, but her reassurances fall on deaf ears.

"Mommy!" Ventus reaches toward her his voice harsh with desperation, and Aqua can feel her features slacken in shock.

_What?_

The word is like a knife, cutting to the very core of her being, the deepest, rawest part of her existence, awakening an instinct she didn't even realize was there.

Ven, apparently, is also shocked, because he just stares at her, mouth opening and closing like a fish, and he pulls his hand away. "Sorry," his voice is almost inaudible. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," he mutters. "No one wants you." He sneers, and the barb is clearly self-directed.

"Stop it!" Aqua's voice comes out sharper than she means for it to; whoever was with Ventus before Xehanort brought him in clearly wrecked the young man's self-esteem, as if the physical abuse he'd obviously suffered wasn't enough.

Aqua can feel the tears gathering in her eyes again, but she forces herself not to cry.

She can't. Not in front of Ven. Not while he's like this—in this state, she doubts that he would understand that she's crying _because_ of him, but not because of something he did; he won't be able to separate the two, and he'll end up blaming himself.

Aqua lunges and grabs his hand before he can pull away completely, clutching it in both of hers. "No, no, no, Ven. You have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't do anything wrong; you just surprised me, that's all. I'm here for you Ven, I'll be whatever you need me to be so you can feel safe. I mean…I didn't actually give birth to you, but if you want to call me 'Mommy' that's okay."

"Really?" Ven is hopeful and skeptical all at once, as if he expects Aqua's reassurances to turn out to be some cruel joke at his expense.

Aqua nods, firmly, and leans forward to kiss his forehead. "Yes, really. I would never lie to you, sweetheart.

"Okay," Ven replies simply.

"You know what? If you hurry and wash up, I bet Terra will make you some hot chocolate before bed," Aqua tells him with a smile.

Ven grins back and dutifully begins washing himself.

Aqua migrates to the toilet and sits on the lid, keeping an eye on Ventus from her perch. Before she has a chance to really process anything, Terra comes back into the bathroom, a bundle of clothes in his arms.

"Here you go." He says, handing them to her. "I had to do some digging to find these; I hope they fit him."

"I'm sure they will," Aqua replies absently. "Thanks, Terra."

"No problem…Are you alright? You look a little frazzled." The young man says, kneeling down next to Aqua.

"I'm fine," the blue-haired apprentice responds. "Really. It's nothing bad, I promise. I'll explain later. Ven just said something that surprised me."

"Oh," Terra responds, his tone suggests that he's not quite sure what else to say. "I can keep an eye on Ven if you want; I can't imagine this isn't at least a little awkward for you…" he continues after a moment.

Aqua shrugs. "It doesn't really bother me. I don't think he's…aware."

Terra's brow furrows. "What do you mean by that?"

Aqua sighs, trying to figure out the best way to explain it. "To me, there are two sides of Ven's personality. There's the one we met, the older one, with all the baggage from the…abuse he went through before he came here."

Terra nods. "And?"

"And then there's the younger one. I swear, the difference is like night and day. One minute he's freaking out over something, and the next he's this happy, sweet little boy. I don't know how else to explain it….You'll know the difference as soon as you see it."

Terra grunts noncommittally, returning his attention to Ven.

Water splatters onto Aqua's shirt, and from the way Terra flinches, she assumes he's been splashed as well.

"Ven, keep the water in the tub please." Aqua says mildly. "I don't want you to slip and fall when you get out; you might if the floor is all wet."

Ven's face is conflicted—warring emotions play out as plain as day in his expressions. He's clearly expecting some kind of punishment, judging by the muted horror in his eyes, but the impish grin on his face says that part of him finds the whole thing endlessly amusing.

"Okay, Mommy." Ven replies, and his subsequent splashing in the tub proceeds with considerably less gusto.

"What the hel—" Aqua clamps a hand over Terra's mouth, eyes blazing.

"Don't even think about it." She hisses, but she recoils when Terra's tongue swipes across her hand. "Terra! That's gross!" she smacks his arm sharply, but she's smiling. "You are such a…man-child.

Terra grins. "It worked, didn't it? Seriously though, what was that all about?"

"That's what I was telling you about earlier. He called me 'mommy' when he thought I was going to leave him in here by himself to bathe. That's what got me thinking about the personality differences, I mean, obviously, this isn't the frame of mind Ven was in when he got here at first. Don't get me wrong, if this is what he needs to feel safe and happy and it helps him to heal a little, then I'm all for it."

Terra nods. "I agree. I see what you mean…I can't believe I'm actually going to say this out loud—and if you tell anyone, I'll deny it—but he actually looks kinda…cute like this."

Aqua smiles at him. "I knew you were a big softie deep down…I think so too, though. I also think we might need to go shopping for some toys and stuff, so he has something to keep him entertained when he's Little."

"As much as I hate to admit it, because you know how much I _love _shopping, I think you might be right.

"I don't suppose you ever finished making the hot chocolate from earlier, did you? I promised Ven we could have some before bedtime."

"Yeah, I have to heat it up again, but it's done." Terra replies.

"Great. Let me dry Ven off and get him ready for bed, and I'll meet you in the kitchen."

"Sounds like a plan," Terra stands up, joints popping, and heads for the kitchen. "See you in a bit."

"Okay baby, time to get out; if we leave you in there for too much longer, you might turn into a raisin."

Ven smiles and giggles, a light, bubbly sound. "I don't wanna be a raisin, Mommy. I'm a Ven!"

"I know, you silly goose. But, if you don't get out, you'll end up looking like one." Aqua answers, smiling at Ven's antics. She pulls a towel out from under the sink and dries Ven off when he steps out of the tub. She holds out the underwear for him to step into, and then makes sure that he puts on his pants and shirt properly.

Aqua takes a moment to look at him—she has to suppress a squeal at how _adorable_ he looks in Terra's old rocket ship pajamas.

Ven reaches up toward her and she lifts him easily into her arms, troubled for a moment at how fragile he seems.

"Can I have hot chocolate?" Ven wonders.

"Sure sweetie. Come on, off to the kitchen we go." Aqua tells him, kissing his forehead again.

"I love you, Mommy," Ven says, planting a sticky kiss on her cheek

"I love you too, little one."

_*****L&B*****_

The rest of the evening passes without further incident, at least until it's actually time for bed. It's already been established that Ven will be sleeping in Aqua's room tonight, but he's reluctant to go—perhaps, Aqua thinks, dares to hope, because he's having fun with them.

"Please," Ven is begging, staring at Aqua with big round doe eyes. "Five more minutes."

"No, Ven, it's time for bed. It's late, and we have a lot to do tomorrow."

"But I don't want to…" the younger boy pouts.

Terra moves over to kneel beside Ven's chair. "What's this? Is this a sad face? There are no sad faces allowed here!" he booms in in a theatrical tone. He turns to Aqua and says in a dejected voice: "You know happens to those people…"

Ven is clearly fighting a smile, but he manages to control his expression, continuing to mope.

"What?" Aqua wonders, playing along.

"The tickle monster comes to eat them. That's his favorite snack, pouting little boys…I think I hear him now!" Terra lunges, his nimble fingers dancing over Ven's ribs, eliciting a raccous laugh from the boy.

"Lucky for you, that hot chocolate made me full," Terra says, his voice closer to something that sounds like a jolly giant. "I guess I'll just have to wrap you in sheets and eat you tomorrow."

"No!" Ven protests, between laughs. "Don't eat me!"

Terra slings Ven over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes, winking at Aqua.

Aqua can feel her face heating up, even though she knows that Terra didn't mean to be flirtatious. She hopes he's too busy with Ven to notice her reaction.

"Mommy, help!" Ven cries, smiling as he reaches out for her with one hand, holding on to Terra with the other.

"I'll save you Ven!" Aqua has no idea what she's actually going to _do_ but she steps after Terra anyway; only to have him turn around and put _her_ over his other shoulder.

"Terra! Put me down!" Aqua demands, flailing ineffectively in an attempt to get free.

"And you, will make a good breakfast in the morning." Terra continues. He laughs and sets off in the direction of Aqua's room.

**Thoughts? Anyone?**

**I know that the whole "Mommy" thing happened really fast, and I just wanted to clarify, so people don't think I'm rushing through it.**

**Ventus came from a very cruel environment, and, emotionally, he's starving for some kind of positive attention. Aqua was the first person to show that to him, as far back as he can remember, so he's trying to latch onto her, because he really needs that reassurance that he's worth caring about. Mothers care about their children no matter what (most of the time anyway; this is how Ventus sees it) and by calling her Mommy, Ven is reassuring himself that he's worth loving and being cared for.**

**I hope that clears things up!**

**Please review and tell me what you think of the story so far if you can spare a minute, I'd really appreciate the feedback. Also, suggestions are welcome too. I can't promise I'll use all of them, but let me know what you think of, and I'll see what I can do.**

**See you next chapter!**

**~Script **


	4. I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

**Thanks everyone! I wasn't expecting so many people to review already, so thanks a ton for all your support! Please check out the poll on my profile if you haven't already, I'll be taking it down on Monday, so make sure to vote if you want.**

*****Warnings***:Self-Punishment/harm, mentions of past abuse, an accident**

_**Chapter IV: I'm Not Okay (I Promise)**_

Aqua wakes up the next morning to an unexpectedly cold and damp sensation. It's a completely foreign sensation to her—she's never wet the bed a day in her life, not even as a child. However, the sharp odor of ammonia tells her that the liquid covering her sheets most certainly isn't sweat, so what…

_Ven._

Oh.

Right.

Aqua is a little grossed out, but it's nothing she's dealt with worse, and, in all honesty, she's more worried about what this is going to do to Ven's self-image, precarious as it is already. Her stomach ties itself in an uneasy knot, one that only tightens when she realizes that Ven is no longer in the bed with her.

"Ven?" She calls out, her throat dry, voice thick and raspy from sleeping.

There's no answer, and her brain tells her that he's probably in the shower—that'd be the sensible thing to do after an accident like this…

Aqua makes herself get up and strip the bed, changing into dry, clean clothes, and throwing her soiled pajamas into the pile with the sheets. She pads down the hall, past the closed bathroom door, where the sound of the shower puts her mind a little more at ease. She pads through the kitchen to the laundry room, silently grateful that the kitchen is empty—the bundle of wet sheets and pajamas in her arms would definitely make for an awkward conversation.

After the sheets are in the washer, she pads back toward her room to assess the damage to her mattress and put new sheets on her bed, only to freeze when Terra comes out of the bathroom.

_If Terra was in the bathroom, then where's Ven?_ She wonders.

"Terra, have you seen Ven this morning at all?"

"No…I thought he was with you…" Terra's face reflects her own uneasiness, and the nauseous churn in the pit of her stomach returns.

"He, well…he had a little bit of an accident, and I don't know where he is. I walked by earlier and thought he was in the shower, but…"

Terra nods. "I'll go ask the master if he's seen Ven, he's usually the first one up anyway."

Aqua follows behind him, sick with dread, beside herself with worry, and frustrated and angry with herself that she doesn't know him well enough yet to know where he might go to hide.

"Master, have you seen Ven at all this morning?" Terra says, without preamble as they walk into Master Eraqus' office.

"I have. He asked me to borrow a stopwatch, he said that he needed it for some morning exercises. I asked him if he felt well enough to be exerting himself after what happened yesterday, and he said that he felt fine. Is something the matter?"

"We were just worried that we couldn't find him, that's all. After what happened yesterday, I don't really like the idea of him being alone." Aqua answers.

"I'm sure he's fine. I can understand why you'd be worried, given what Terra told me last night; Ventus' disposition was considerably more cheerful this morning. However, if you want to check on him, he said he'd be at the lake for twenty minutes or so before he came inside for breakfast…" Eraqus tells them, (Or, more accurately, he tells Terra, because Aqua is sprinting from the room as soon as the word 'lake' passes his lips.)

Aqua is outside before she realizes it, tearing down the well-beaten path through the forest to the lake at the base of the mountain. It's a popular spot for swimming in the warmer months, but it's starting to cool off, and her breath rises in front of her in puffs of fog as she hurtles through the trees.

She slides to a halt on the shore of the lake, shoes slipping and spraying muck everywhere, and she almost tumbles headlong into the water in her frantic search for Ven.

"Ven? _Ven_!" She screams herself hoarse on the second try, desperate for something, _anything_, as a response. She wades out into the water, peering into the murky depths, unable to see anything because of the dirt in the water.

"_Ven!_" She shouts again, his name scraping her throat raw.

Terra comes up behind her, breathing heavily. "Anything?"

Aqua shakes her head, her voice comes out strained and anxious. "No,"

Ven surfaces with a gasp a few feet away, clutching a beeping stopwatch in his hand. He's coughing and choking and spitting out water.

"Ven! Thank goodness!" Aqua is very nearly crying with relief. She rushes forward to help Ven as he wheezes, but she stops cold when Venus glares at her.

"Don't touch me." he snaps. His gaze is piercing, his eyes as empty and lifeless as when he arrived. It gives her chills, and her teeth worry her bottom lip as she deliberates, unsure of whether to be afraid _for_ him or _of_ him.

"Hey, now," Aqua begins. "Calm down. I'm just trying to help."

"What do you want?" Ven snaps, fiddling with the stopwatch for a moment before moving further out and beginning to tread water.

Terra holds out a hand toward Ven, his movements calm and slow.

In that moment, Aqua envies him; the calm, cool, and collected demeanor he has doesn't waver in the slightest, and she wishes that she had the same control over her own emotions.

"Easy, Ven," Terra says, and his voice is gentle, but firm; his tone makes it implicitly clear that he won't tolerate an argument. "We just wanted to make sure you were alright. You scared us. Aqua especially. You can't just go running off like that. It's dangerous, you could get hurt."

Ven snorts derisively, his lips peeling away from his teeth. "Well, I'm fine, _obviously._" He's panting with the exertion of keeping himself afloat, but that doesn't stop his teeth from chattering in between words.

Terra bristles, and Aqua puts a hand on his arm.

"I would watch my tone if I were you." Terra's voice is a little sterner, and he folds his arms over his chest in a way that clearly reads: _I'm running out of patience._

Ven moves closer to where he can touch the bottom of the lake, and mirrors him perfectly, right down to the scowl on his face_._ If it wasn't for the tension between the two of them, Ven's near-perfect imitation of Terra would be cute.

"You can't tell me what to do! I'm not a baby." Ven shoots back defiantly. He keeps a stiff upper lip, trying—and failing—to suppress a shiver.

The irony in his statement isn't lost on either of the two older apprentices, but neither of them comment on it; that would be crossing a line that both of them refuse to touch.

Terra sighs and shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Ven." Aqua begins softly, gently, like she's afraid that if she's too harsh, he might break. "Calm down. I'm not angry about this morning, I promise. Really, I'm not. You're not in trouble or anything, accidents happen, it's okay. Just…please come out of the water; it's too cold for swimming—you're going to get sick."

"Can I finish first?" Ven's tone softens, his eyes lose some of their steel, and he unfolds his arms.

"Finish what? Ven, what are you talking about?" Aqua wonders, and her heart drops into her stomach when Ven's eyes glaze over.

"This is…this is what I'm supposed to do. Whenever…" Ven shivers and clams up.

Aqua feels sick again when she realizes what he's not saying. This must have been a punishment of some kind…And that means…

"Oh, sweetheart…" She reaches out to him, using every last shred of willpower she has not to rush to him and pull him into her arms and just hold him. But she knows she can't and the knowledge kills her. She has to let him make the first move.

"Ven, come on out." Terra says. "I'm not mad either. I was just worried about you; I didn't mean to snap like that."

"It's fine." Ven says acidly, swiping angrily his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry I yelled." He continues after a moment in a more even tone. "Am I in trouble?"

"No," Terra says quickly. "It's okay. I know you've had a rough time. We all have bad days." His tone is dismissive, and he smiles at Ven, waving off his previous attitude. "Well," he continues. "I'm starving, and I'm sure everyone else is hungry too. Why don't we go inside and get cleaned up, and I'll make us breakfast?"

Aqua smiles at Terra, grateful for the distraction. "That sounds wonderful."

"Yeah!" Ven agrees, grinning, all traces of his previous mood gone.

Aqua holds out a hand to Ven as he wades closer, and feels a surge of relief when his small fingers twine with hers. She pulls him into a hug, hoping to at least warm him up a little with her body heat; his lips are an unsettling bluish color, and his shivering appears to have gotten worse.

"Ven, honey, where are your clothes?" Aqua asks him gently, realizing as the trio heads back toward the path that leads back to the training grounds, that there are no clothes hanging from any of the tree branches on the shore. Or towels, for that matter?

Ven shrugs. "Inside…"

Aqua shakes her head, "I wish you would've at least brought a towel; I don't want you getting sick."

" 'M fine." Ven replies, shivering again.

"I know. I just worry about you, that's all."

The walk back to the castle continues in silence until the trio reaches the doors. Ven pauses for a moment, his face pale.

"Aqua?" Ven calls out tentatively.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Aqua's voice is gentle, concerned.

"I'm gonna go change and start breakfast." Terra interjects, and disappears into the castle.

"I…I'm really sorry I yelled at you. And I'm really, _really_ sorry about your bed. I didn't do it on purpose, honest!" Ven sniffles, his bottom lip trembling. "You're not gonna….Send me away are you? I don't mean to be a burden."

Aqua kneels down in front of Ven and pulls him close, stroking his hair in what she hopes is a comforting manner. "Shh. I would never send you away, baby. Never. And you absolutely are not a burden. It's okay, Ven. I get upset too, sometimes, no big deal. And, I'm really not mad about the bed. It's not your fault. You don't have to be sorry."

Ven stiffens against her, his muscles rigid, and his hands clutch at Aqua's shirt.

"Ven? You okay?"

Ven shakes his head, tears suddenly dripping off his chin.

"What's wrong?" Aqua wipes away his tears, tenderly and waits for him to answer.

"I remembered something…" Ven says. "About before. That's why I went down to the lake…The man I was with…I don't remember his name, but…I wet the bed a lot when I was with him, and he—l" Ven trembles, choking back a sob. "He said that if I liked being wet so much, then I could stay in the water while he cleaned up after me. He threw me into a lake, and he told me that I had to hold my breath for three minutes, tread water for fifteen, and then hold my breath again for another two…That's what I was doing down at the lake." He confesses. "And then, after that, he strapped me to a chair, tipped it over backwards and poured water on my face. I had a rag in my mouth, and...I thought I was drowning."

"Oh, baby," Aqua swallows past the lump in her throat, but can't speak anymore, not without crying. She crushes Ven to her instead, hoping that her closeness will help to calm his nerves.

"I thought I was gonna die." Ven says, so quietly, that she can barely hear him.

"I can't imagine how scary that must've been for you. It scares me just listening to you talk about it. But you're safe here, Ven. I promise you. I will protect you with my life if I have to, and I'm sure that Terra and the Master would do the same."

"Why?" Ven wonders, his tone turning bitter. "Why go to all this trouble for me? I'm nobody. I'm not important. All I do is get in the way and cause trouble."

"Ven," Aqua begins, but Ven pulls away from her, turning away, fists clenched at his sides

"I was the cause of all the trouble this morning!" Ven is very nearly shouting, his eyes red and puffy, moisture welling up. The dark circles under his eyes You can't deny that. Tell me, Aqua. what do you see when you look at me?"

Aqua takes Ven's face between her palms, wipes his tears away with her thumbs and rests her forehead on his as she looks at him. "I see a very scared little boy who has had a lot of very, very bad things done to him. And I think that that little boy forgets that he has a family now, one that loves him, very, very much."

Ven sniffles, but he doesn't pull away.

"And you're not a troublemaker, Ven. I know you didn't mean to scare us, but Terra and I worry about you because we love you…" Aqua sighs; this next bit needs to be handled very delicately. "I want you to listen to me, sweetheart, okay?"

Ven nods.

"What you did today was _extremely_ dangerous. You could have drowned. Terra and I had no idea where you were, and then when we did find you, it seemed to me like you almost _did_. I know that you were only doing what you thought you were supposed to, but that was very unsafe. I love you very much, Ven, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you're safe. So…For now…I don't want you to go outside by yourself, okay? I'm not punishing you, I just want you to be safe, and right now, I don't know if I can trust you to do that all by yourself."

Ven nods slowly. "Okay. I understand." He bites the tip of his thumb, clearly overwhelmed.

"Good." Aqua says, relieved that he's taking it so well. She leans forward to kiss his forehead. "Are you ready to go get cleaned up little one? You smell like lake water." She tells him, wrinkling her nose.

"Yeth," Ven affirms, without taking his thumb out of his mouth.

"Let's go, then. Breakfast should be ready by the time we're done." Aqua takes Ven's hand pausing when he doesn't move with her.

"Mommy?" Ven's voice is different, an octave or so higher, and there's a disjointed cadence to his words that lets Aqua know that she's dealing with the younger part of Ven's personality.

"Yes, love?"

"Big Ven is really worried that you're mad at him…" Ven pauses. "And he's mad at me for telling you. But you make me feel better when I feel icky, so I think you can help Big Ven too. You give really good hugs and kisses, and that makes me feel happy…maybe they will help Big Ven, just like they help me?"

Aqua lifts Ven into her arms, knowing he won't resist her now. "Maybe." She says. "I really hope so."

**Thoughts? Anybody?**

**Yes, the chapter title is after an MCR song. I thought it was fitting.**

**Okay, so I'm starting to feel like Aqua is being a little repetitive, here, but there's a reason for it. Little Ven is somewhere around three, and, as anyone who has experience with kids knows, it takes a while to explain complex ideas, and you use a lot of the same words over again to get the point across.**

**We got to see a little bit of what goes on inside Ven's head, and Terra and Aqua are realizing the need for boundaries.**

**Any suggestions on how I can improve would be appreciated, I feel like I'm not doing a very good job with this to be honest…Let me know what you think!**

**See you next chapter!**

**~Script**


	5. A Little Place Called Home

**Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement! And thank s to everyone who responded to the poll, your feedback is greatly appreciated! In the same vein, since nobody said no, diapers will be introduced herein. There will be no graphic descriptions of bodily functions or the like as a result, most people don't appreciate that kind of thing.**

**As you may have gathered from the previous chapters this fic features the Terrra/Aqua pairing. I know that some people see the Wayfinder Family as more of a sibling relationship than a paternal/maternal one, but in my head, that's how it works. Sorry to disappoint. Just FYI.**

*****WARNINGS***: Ageplay, a meltdown from separation anxiety**

**On with the show!**

_**Chapter V: A Little Place Called Home**_

Ven's face scrunches up in concentration as he brings the fork to his mouth, slowly, carefully, only to have his scrambled eggs fall back onto the plate—just like his last three attempts.

Ven grunts in frustration and slams the fork down onto the table.

"Hey, now," Terra says calmly, wiping his lips with a napkin before moving to kneel next to Ven's chair. Despite their obvious difference in age, the two of them are almost the same height—Aqua had brought some of the larger spell books in from the master's library for Ven to sit on so he could reach the table.

"Easy, kiddo. It's a little tricky at first, no worries. It isn't like a spoon," Terra explains patiently, placing the fork back in Ven's hand and wrapping his fingers around it. "Sometimes you have to use the points." He guides Ven's hand down, gently spearing a cluster of eggs, and then allows Ven to feed himself.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Ven shakes his head, smiling.

"Good job." Terra says, smiling in return and ruffling the younger boy's hair, before returning to his own seat.

"Daddy…" Ven whines, pouting adorably as he tries to fix his already-messy hair.

Aqua meets Terra's eyes across the table; Terra's raised eyebrows are the only indication of his shock, but Aqua's known him long enough to realize that his raised eyebrows are the equivalent of his jaw hitting the floor—he just restrains himself in front of Ven.

Ven's fork clatters to his plate and his mouth slackens. "S-sorry…" he says, staring down at his plate and refusing to look at Terra.

"Don't be," Terra's out of his seat again, hands on Ven's shoulders. "You can call me whatever you want, little man. I would be honored if you called me 'Daddy'." Terra tells him. His voice is firm, but his face is soft and gentle—Aqua knows he doesn't want to scare Ven.

Ven just blinks at him. "What's 'honored'?"

Terra grins and chuckles a little. "It means, that it would make me very happy."

Ven wraps his arms around Terra and Aqua wishes she had her camera.

The two boys part after a moment, and Terra takes his plate to the sink.

Ven picks up his glass of juice, very carefully, with both hands, and promptly spills most of the beverage down the front of his shirt. He gasps and cowers under Aqua's gaze.

Aqua realizes that they're going to have to go shopping for some new clothes for Ven sooner rather than later; he only had the clothes on his back when Master Xehanort brought him in, and although Terra's old clothes fit him, they don't have that many of his old outfits to spare.

"It's okay, little one." She soothes. "Mommy will get you a new cup that doesn't spill, okay?"

Ven sniffles, but nods.

"I'm not upset, baby, I promise."

Ven relaxes visibly, and the climbs down off of his chair and into Aqua's lap. "All done," he says, indicating his breakfast.

"Will you try to eat just a few more bites?" Aqua asks him gently—he's clearly malnourished, and the only way he's going to start recovering from that is if he eats.

Ven shakes his head. "Full,"

Aqua gives him a squeeze and presses a kiss to his temple. "Please?" she draws out the word, lilting and singsong, hoping her enthusiasm will appeal to him. "Just two more bites, and then you can be done."

"Okay," Ven is clearly not thrilled about the prospect of having to eat more, but he dutifully shovels two more bites into his mouth—albeit with some difficulty—and receives another hug and kiss from Aqua.

He squirms down off of Aqua's lap, and races across the kitchen to wrap himself around Terra's legs. "Thank you for breakfast, Daddy." He says.

Terra pulls a face over his head, and Aqua has to stifle a giggle at his expression—Terra has never been a very emotive person, and now he's being forced to do so in spades. He smiles softly and reaches down to ruffle Ven's hair.

"You're welcome, buddy. Good job using your manners, too."

Ven scowls adorably, and attempts to fix his hair, but then he grins and scampers off, to the living room to play with the toys that Terra scrounged up while he was in the bath.

There aren't very many, Aqua knows—there are a few hand-sewn dolls in the mix, and Terra has a few old toys of his own, but both of them have been too old for toys for many years now, so the selection is pretty barebones.

"We need to go shopping," Aqua tells Terra after swallowing her last mouthful of food.

"Joy," Terra mutters, although his tone implies the exact opposite.

Aqua smiles and hip-checks him as she takes her place next to him, helping him dry the dishes from their meal. "Oh, come on, Terra, it's not _that _bad."

"I know…but you take _forever_. Seriously, what is it with girls and shopping, anyway? I don't understand why you all feel the need to look at every single clearance rack in the store; guys just go in, buy what they want and leave. It's really…not...that…complicated."

Terra's voice trails off, and he swallows audibly.

Aqua's glaring at him, eyes glinting dangerously, hands on her hips. "First of all, don't be a sexist pig; the amount of time you spend shopping depends on what you're shopping _for_. You spend just as much time in the Men's Health section of the store as I do everywhere else." Aqua's finger is poised threateningly under his nose as she continues laying into him. "Secondly, I'm not made of munny. I look at the clearance sections because it saves munny. No wonder you're always broke."

"I am not always—" Terra begins to retort, but Aqua cuts him off.

"Not the point. Look, we only need a couple things, it won't take that long; an hour and a half _at the very most_. My only stipulation is that we leave Ven here with the Master where he'll be safe. Even if we could figure out a way to carry him on one of our gliders, I'd still worry about him. I know the possibility of something happening while we're out is slim to none, but I'd feel more comfortable if he's in a familiar place, at least until he's in a more stable frame of mind."

"Makes sense." Terra responds as he puts the last of the dishes away. "We should get going."

Aqua sighs. "We need to make a list first…That is, unless you secretly _want_ to go shopping, and are just pretending to hate it to protect your fragile masculinity…"

Terra just stares at her. "Wow."

Aqua flashes him a smile. _Another win for me._ She rummages through a drawer that holds various odds and ends, until she comes up with a pen and some paper.

"Okay, first we need to baby-proof the house…" She says, pulling the pen's cap off with her teeth as she begins to write.

"You do know that Ven isn't actually a baby, right. I mean, I know that his current state of mind might not reflect that but…" Terra begins.

"I know." Aqua nods. "I just think it would be a good idea until he's more…_stable_. We're not going to be able to keep an eye on him around the clock, and I'd feel much better knowing that he can't get to things that could hurt him when we're not around."

Terra nods. "Good point. What else do we need?"

_*****L&B*****_

Aqua shifts uncomfortably outside of Master Eraqus' office, deliberating over how best to ask him to keep an eye on Ventus. She's sure he won't mind; it's just the explaining of Ven's current mindset that makes her uneasy.

Master Eraqus is a very kind, loving person, but he can be a little…awkward when it comes to unorthodox things. For as long as she's trained under him, she's always known him to be a very by-the-book individual.

She takes a breath, steeling her nerves, and knocks on his door.

"Come in," Master Eraqus calls from the other side.

Aqua steps over the threshold. She's fidgeting now, actually, truly fidgeting, something she never does.

"What troubles you, my dear?" Eraqus asks, laying his papers to one side as he looks up at her.

Aqua's teeth worry her bottom lip as she wonders how exactly to phrase the question.

"Master…would you mind looking after Ventus for a little while? Terra and I need to go shopping for some things, and I don't know that he's ready to be off-world just yet."

"I don't mind at all; although I am quite certain that Ventus is capable of looking after himself…" Eraqus responds, quirking an eyebrow.

"You see, that's the thing…Terra and I've been keeping a pretty close eye on Ven since the incident with the knife last night, and we discovered that he sort of has a split personality. It's nothing malicious, it's just…One of them is a lot younger than the other. There's the troubled, abused part of his mind that's older, the one we met first, and then there's a little boy; I'd say between two and three if I had to guess, and he just needs a lot of love and attention. I think this is Ven's way of coping with what happened to him."

Eraqus nods slowly. "I see. The reaction you are describing as actually a fairly common one when someone undergoes something particularly traumatic. The degree of severity varies from person to person, but it's not entirely unheard of. I'm sure I'll be able to manage."

Aqua nods, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Thank you, master." She bows formally. "Well, I'd better go find Terra so we can get going. Thanks again."

"It's no trouble at all," Eraqus' voice drifts out into the hallway after her.

Terra is easy to find, he's leaning against the doorway into the living room, watching over Ven.

"I told you not to worry," he says giving her a playful nudge with his elbow.

She smiles and shoves back against him. "Careful there, Terra. If your head gets any bigger, you won't fit back out the door."

Terra rolls his eyes and ruffles her hair in retaliation.

Aqua huffs and pouts for a moment, before schooling her face back under control—she doesn't want Ven to start imitating that particular behavior.

"You ready?" she asks him after a moment of watching Ven play with some of Terra's toy cars.

Terra nods. "Let's get going."

Ven perks up immediately. "Me too! I wanna come!"

Terra smiles and reaches down to ruffle the boy's hair. "Sorry, kiddo, but you're gonna have to stay here. We're just going shopping—it's really boring, you wouldn't have any fun anyway. And we're only going to be gone for a little while. We'll be back before you even have time to miss us."

Ven is clearly skeptical. "But I don't want you to go…"

"It's okay, little one. It's only for a little while. I promise we're coming back, you don't have to worry."

Ven wraps himself around Aqua, immobilizing her with his body. "Not safe!" he cries, tears pooling in his eyes. "You promised! Keep me safe!"

Aqua gently disentangles herself from Ven's clutches, and kneels down to hug him. "You are very safe, sweetheart. That's why you have to stay here; it's too dangerous for you to come along."

"_Mommy!_" Ven wails, his nails digging into her skin through her shirt.

The sound of his crying tears at her. "Shh. Mommy's right here, baby. I'm not leaving forever; it's only for an hour or two."

Aqua's reassurances do little to console Ven, he just holds on tighter.

Master Eraqus comes into the room, making eye contact with Aqua over top of Ven's head.

"Why don't you come with me, Ventus?" he says quietly, lowering himself to the floor so Ven can see him. "I'm sure we can find something fun to do while we wait for Terra and Aqua to come back."

"No!" Ven howls, flailing out instinctively with an arm.

Terra's reflexes are primed for just such an outburst and he seizes Ven's arm in a firm, but not painful grip.

"Let me take him, please." He says to Aqua who releases the child.

Aqua looks on as Terra sits Ven in one of the chairs at the kitchen table, and retrieves the egg timer from its place on the counter.

"Ven, listen to me." he says, his voice drifting in from the other room. His tone is kind, but firm. "You and I both know that it is not okay to hit. I know you didn't mean it, and I understand that you're scared that Aqua and I are leaving for a little while, and it's okay to feel that way. But it's not okay to hit someone because you're upset. Understand?"

Ven sniffles. "Yes, Daddy."

"Good. Now, I'm going to set the timer for two minutes, and I want you to sit here and think about what you could do differently the next time you feel upset instead of hitting. When you're all done with time-out, I think you should tell Master Eraqus that you're sorry, and listen to what he has to say. He's really nice, I promise; I know you don't know him very well, but you'll see for yourself soon…Can I have a hug before I go?"

Ven leans forward in the chair and wraps his skinny arms around Terra's neck. "Bye, Daddy." He says quietly. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ven." Terra says, and Aqua is surprised at the tenderness in his voice.

"You handled that very well, Terra." Eraqus says when Terra rejoins him and Aqua in the living room.

Terra rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, almost like he's embarrassed by the praise. "Thanks." He turns to Aqua. "You ready?"

Aqua nods. "Just let me say goodbye to Ven first."

Seeing the little boy in the kitchen chair, his face red and blotchy from crying, pulls at her heartstrings, but even she has to admit that hitting is not something she's willing to tolerate, regardless of the circumstances.

"Are you mad at me, Mommy?"

Aqua shakes her head and gives Ven a kiss on the cheek. "No, I'm not mad. I'm _disappointed_, because I know that you're a very good, sweet little boy who knows better than to hit when he's upset. But I'm not mad at you. I have to get going, little one; we need to get you some new clothes—we can't have you running around naked, can we?"

Ven giggles. "No, Mommy. That would be silly." He smiles at her.

Aqua pulls Ven close holds him for a moment, kissing his forehead and wiping stray tears away with her thumbs. "I love you very much, little one, and I will be back very, very soon. Be good for Master Eraqus, okay?"

Ven nods firmly. "I will."

Aqua gives Ven one last hug, and then returns to the living room where Terra is waiting.

"Alright, let's get going. The clearance racks aren't going to browse themselves!" She grins at Terra.

Terra sighs. "Whatever. Let's get this over with."

**So…Thoughts? Anyone? Let me know what you think!**

**See you next chapter! **

**~Script**


	6. I'm Okay, You're Okay

**Thank you all so much for your support!**

*****WARNINGS:*** Ageplay/Diapers, Dark!Ven, an accident, language**

**As I'm sure you can imagine, Ven has a **_**lot**_** of baggage from his time with Xehanort; he doesn't just have a warped understanding of independence and "discipline", he also has an immense amount of repressed rage built up from not being able to defend himself against Xehanort's abuse. Ven lets it out in several different ways throughout the story, and you will see one of them in this chapter.**

**Also, diapers will be introduced in this chapter.**

**On with the show!**

_**Chapter VI: I'm Okay, You're Okay**_

"So, you're the Master." Ven's voice is dull and flat; the lilting, disjointed cadence of his tone a few moments ago is completely gone.

Eraqus nods. "That is correct. My name is Eraqus."

"Master…Eraqus." Ven repeats, rising from his chair.

"Ventus, I'm quite certain that Terra told you that you weren't to leave that chair until the timer went off." Eraqus reminds the youth gently.

Ventus smirks, all teeth and spite. "You mean this one?" He hefts the simple device—a small, decorative piece designed to look like a hatching chicken. Without further comment, he hurls it across the room, sending it through the door to the microwave with a crash, where it shatters into several pieces, completely beyond repair.

"Oops," Ventus says, in a voice that implies the exact opposite of the sorrow he's feigning.

"What is the meaning of this?" Eraqus demands sternly.

"What? You gonna punish me, _Master_? Teach me a lesson? Get on with it, then, I don't have all day."

Eraqus raises an eyebrow. " You almost sound as though you _want_ me to punish you. I'd rather not, and seeing as how you _want _to be disciplined, to do so now would defeat the purpose of disciplining you in the first place. What's on your mind?"

Ven laughs, a harsh, broken noise. "Come on; don't you want to beat some sense into me?" he steps closer to Eraqus, sneering at him. He taps his cheek with his fingertips. "Right here, you know you want to. Teach me some respect, old man."

Eraqus simply sits passively, cross-legged on the floor, breathing even and slow.

"Not gonna take a swing? Fine!" Ven snaps, drawing his own arm back, fist clenched, "How about some incentive!" he lets fly with a blow of his own; Eraqus catches his fist with minimal effort, moving so quickly that Ven misses the motion entirely.

"Ventus," Eraqus begins calmly, taking Ven's hand in both of his. "I can't imagine the pain you must be feeling right now, and I want to help you. But I can't until you calm down…"

Ven thrashes wildly, attempting to wrest his arm from Eraqus' grip, to no avail. "Let go of me!"

Eraqus exerts a little more pressure, maneuvering the boy's arm so he has to sit on the floor with his back to him. He releases the boy from the arm-lock—he knows that the immobilization technique isn't exactly comfortable—and wraps him up in a confining embrace instead.

"Stop it! Let go!" Ven's voice is desperate and afraid, and he flails about, smashing his elbows into the armor plating that covers Eraqus' chest and stomach.

"Ventus, calm down. You're going to hurt yourself."

"I don't care!" Ven's response is dripping with anger and bitterness. "Pain is just weakness leaving the body."

Eraqus is glad that Ventus' back is to him; he can openly express his horror at the boy's words without fear of upsetting the youth further.

Certainly, there was something to be said for the ability of a warrior—especially a Keyblade Wielder—to tolerate a substantial amount of physical pain, that was an assumed risk. However, that lesson wasn't meant to be learned until after the student understood that the master—hopefully—was doing it out of a genuine desire to help the student, and not out of malice. And, such lessons were never meant to push the student to their limits.

Obviously, Ventus has other ideas.

"Be as that may, _I_ _do_ care. I don't want you to hurt yourself; definitely not intentionally."

"Let go," Ventus' voice is softer, the beginnings of tears thickening the sound.

"I cannot. Not until I know that you are safe."

The boy slumps forward, crying quietly—Eraqus can feel the tears dripping onto his robe. The child in his lap reminds him so much of Terra when he was younger; he has the same stubborn tendency to ignore the pain he's feeling until it becomes too much to bear.

"I am here for you, Ventus," he says, pulling the boy a little closer. "But I can only help if you let me."

_*****L&B*****_

Aqua pauses to consult her list.

Behind her,Terra groans.

"Are we done yet?" he whines, clearly trying to suppress a chuckle.

"I'm going to smack you," Aqua warns, though, privately, she's just as amused as he is. "Almost. Just a couple more things."

Aqua arrives at the infants department, pausing at the threshold to the aisle containing the diapers and other paraphernalia associated with them, her stomach churning with unease. Brushing the uncomfortable sensation aside, she pushes forward and begins putting items in the cart.

Terra doesn't comment on the pacifiers, or the sippy cups, or even the bottles, but:

"Are the diapers really necessary?" He's actually _fidgeting_, and his face expresses both disbelief, and an intense desire to be somewhere—_anywhere _—else.

"Yes." Aqua replies, firmly, in almost the exact same tone she would use if Ven was being uncooperative. "I don't particularly like waking up covered in urine, nor do I want to wash my sheets every morning. These are only for night time—if Ven's going to be staying with me, I'd prefer to keep my bed clean."

Terra makes a vaguely affirmative noise, clearly uncomfortable, but he doesn't press the issue. Aqua feels bad for him, really. He's endured the clothes shopping portion—suffered through the countless 'Oh, isn't this adorable', and 'Won't Ven looks so cute in this' comments, that he obviously saw as an affront to his masculinity, but he never once complained.

Aqua looks at the list again. "I think that's everything…"

"What's wrong?" Terra asks suddenly.

"I'm just…worried about Ven. What if he's not behaving? What if he's hurt? What if he's panicking because were not around? What if—" Aqua frowns at not realizing that her apprehension was so obvious; but then again, Terra has always been the one with the impassive poker face. Her breath hitches without her permission and her eyes are suddenly welling and Kingdom Hearts, _what has she gotten herself into_?

How is she going to _do_ this?

She doesn't have the slightest inkling of how to be a mother; as much as it would irk her to admit it any other time—she's barely an adult herself.

For the first time, it dawns on her just how much growing she still has to do, how much she still has to lean, how…_inadequate_ she is to be Ven's Mommy.

"Aqua, he's fine. Take a deep breath. Relax." Terra says, pressing a finger to her lips, very soft, very gentle. "Master Eraqus is a very capable person; he can handle Ven for a few hours."

Had she spoken aloud? She doesn't remember.

"But—" There are so many other things she has to say, so many other uncertainties that have to be addressed, she doesn't even know where to begin…

"Aqua," Terra begins slowly, gently, firmly, kneeling down across from her. He gently takes her chin between his thumb and forefinger, and guides her eyes to meet his. "Stop."

She can literally _feel_ the tenderness in his voice, it wraps around her like a blanket, warm and soft and soothing. And she understands then: this is why Ven feels so secure with Terra, because his face is kind and patient and _It's alright, I'll take care of you. Don't be afraid._

And, when she looks into his eyes, she believes it.

"It's good that you're afraid," Terra's saying. "It means you understand the importance of what we're doing for Ven. But it'll be alright. It takes time to learn about someone, and Ven's only been with us for two days—it's not really reasonable to expect yourself to know him well enough to provide for his every need in so short a time span. I know you want to, and I don't doubt for a second that you can, just…try to relax. These things take time. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Aqua is quiet for a moment, basking in his words, wiping at her wet cheeks with her shirtsleeve.

And then: "Thank you," her lips ghost against Terra's cheek, so brief and fleeting, that if he hadn't been watching her, he might not have felt it at all.

Terra's cheeks color, and Aqua takes a moment to savor the sight of Terra blushing—there's a very real possibility that she might never see it again. And then, he schools his expression back to normalcy, calm and cool and collected.

"No sweat," He throws a roguish grin her way, and is he _flirting_? She's never seen him smile like _that_ before…

She gives him a playful nudge, ducks her head—maybe, possibly, almost flirting back—ducks her head and tries unsuccessfully to stifle the utterly _girly_ giggle that escapes her as she watches through her eyelashes for his reaction.

"We should get back," Aqua says finally, all-business, and sternness and _Mommy_ again. "Hopefully things haven't gotten too out of control…"

Terra reaches over to ruffle her hair—as much as she pretends to hate it, he sees through her façade, knows that she really doesn't mind. "You worry too much."

_*****L&B*****_

Or, perhaps, she doesn't worry _enough._

The first thing she notices is the gaping hole in the microwave. If she looks closely enough, she can see what looks like the remains of the egg timer, but it's too far away to know for sure.

"What happened?" Aqua's voice is terse, her question comes out more like a demand, and she's too worried to feel remorseful about her lack of respect toward her master.

"We had a little bit of an incident after you left," Eraqus explains mildly. "It's all under control."

Aqua stares him down, and Terra finds himself praying that he's never on the receiving end of _that_ particular stare, he can feel the heat from where he's standing.

"I see. And where is Ven now?"

"He's resting," Eraqus gestures toward the couch, where Ven is curled up in a ball, thumb in his mouth, drooling onto the armrest.

He looks so innocent and peaceful in sleep, when his eyes aren't hooded with a haunted gleam, and his shoulders aren't slumping under the weight of the memories he bears.

Aqua doesn't have the heart to wake him up; at least not until she sees the wet patch surrounding his crotch, and seeping into the couch cushions. She looks over at Terra and he nods, silently acknowledging that she's right.

She leans down and brushes Ven's sweat-damp hair from his face, and presses a kiss to his forhead.

"Mommy's home, little one."

Ven blinks sleepily, and his eyes brighten as he catches sight of her, and for a single, beautiful moment, there's nothing but sheer, unbridled joy on his face.

And then he wakes up.

His expression shifts from joy to horror as he pats himself down.

"_Fuck_!" He snarls, swinging a fist viciously into the armrest.

"Ven, calm down, it's okay. I know you didn't do it on purpose…and watch your mouth, young man." Aqua tells him, gentle, but firm.

"Calm down?" Ven snaps. "I'm so fucked up that I can't even _sleep_ like a normal person; and you want me to _calm down_? This is bullshit!" He sneers, eyes welling with moisture that doesn't match the angry scowl on his face.

Aqua takes him by the shoulders firmly, but not with enough force to hurt him. "That's enough of your potty mouth, little one. I understand that you're upset, and that is okay, it's healthy, but I absolutely will not tolerate language like that, especially not from you. If you need to talk about how you feel, that's perfectly fine, but if you can't use nice words, you are going to have to sit in time-out until you can express yourself appropriately."

Ven's whole body is trembling, and his breath comes in harsh, ragged gasps. He slams a fist into his thigh. "Dammit." He growls, and then winces. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Aqua leans forward to kiss his forehead again. "You know I love you, right?"

Ven nods, but doesn't say anything else.

"And I will never, ever be mad at you for something you can't help."

Ven sniffles, fists, clenching and unclenching endlessly, his breathing harsh and labored; he's clearly fighting tears. He coughs, and immediately swipes at his eyes, clenches his teeth, anything to keep the tears at bay.

"It's okay to cry if you need to, Ven. It doesn't make you weak, and I won't love you any less because of it."

Ven's face crumples, almost as if he was waiting for permission, and the tears stream down his face to drip off his chin.

Aqua brushes them away. "Hey," she says softly, pulling him to her, running her fingers through his hair. "We can fix this. Why don't you go get cleaned up, and I'll take care of things out here."

Ven stiffens and clings to her tighter. "No! Don't leave me again! I'm sorry!"

Aqua bites back a sigh. "It's okay, little one. I'm not going anywhere. But, you need a bath, so _we_ will be going to the bathroom." She lifts him onto her hip, fighting the instinctive urge to wrinkle her nose as his wet clothing makes contact with her skin. She turns to make eye contact with Terra. "Do you mind…"

"I've got it covered." He says calmly, reaching out to ruffle Ven's hair. "It's okay, buddy, it's not the end of the world."

Ven buries his face in Aqua's neck.

"Thanks," the blue-haired apprentice tosses over her shoulder as she carries Ven into the bathroom, with the shopping bag containing the baby items in her other hand.

Ven takes to the bath with considerably less enthusiasm than she's expecting, but he seems to appreciate the small collection of bath toys she bought for him at the store, and the no-tears shampoo was definitely a good call, she notes. However, when he decides that the tiny toy boat must be capsized by a massive wave, Aqua makes an executive decision herself: bathtime is over.

Ven yawns, blinking owlishly as she dries him off with a towel in her room.

"Are you still sleepy?"

Ven nods. "Sorry…I di'n't mean to wet on the couch, Mommy."

Aqua kisses his forehead and pulls him into another hug. "I know you didn't baby, and I'm not upset. Do you want to lay down for a little bit longer?"

Ven nods again.

Aqua sits down on the bed and pulls a towel-wrapped Ven into her lap. "Okay, little one. I want you to listen to Mommy very carefully, okay?" she waits for him to nod a third time before continuing. "I know that you can't help wetting the bed, and I will never, ever be angry at you for that. But, I bet it's not very comfy waking up all wet, is it?" she knows from personal experience that it isn't, but she wants Ven to come to that conclusion on his own.

Ven shakes his head. "No. It feels yucky, Mommy."

Aqua rubs his back gently. "I know. But, I have an idea that might help…Do you want to try?" she quietly steels herself for another emotional explosion, even as she prays for the exact opposite; she's starting to feel a little drained herself.

She reaches into the bag and takes out the package of diapers and the baby powder and laying them on the bed next to her.

Ven only blinks, he doesn't offer any sort of resistance or start screaming in outrage, he just looks at her with round, trusting eyes.

"I know you might think these are for babies, and I won't force you to wear them if you don't want to, but I really think this is for the best. This way, if you do have an accident, you don't have to worry about waking up in a wet bed." _And neither do I_…Aqua adds silently.

"Okay." Ven says after a moment's deliberation. "I don't like being wet." He wrinkles his nose adorably, and Aqua kisses his forehead again before sitting him down next to her.

"Thank you for trusting me, Ven." Aqua says, before proceeding to diaper him. She moves as quickly and efficiently as she can, mostly to avoid embarrassing Ven—well, that, and regardless of his present state of mind, she's not overly fond of seeing him naked…

"There," she says as she finishes taping on the garment. "All done…Are you okay?"

Ven nods. "This is comfy." He admits, and yawns again.

Aqua smiles, both at his acceptance and at the fact that he looks so_ cute_ in just his diaper. "I'm glad." She lifts him back onto her hip so she can pull back the covers and slide him into bed. "There we go," she says, pulling the covers up to his chin.

He must be close to falling asleep again already, because his thumb is already in his mouth again by the time she's finished.

"Oh," Aqua rifles through the bag again, before triumphantly retrieving one of the pacifiers. "Mommy got you a present, Ven," she holds up the object. "It's okay to suck your thumb if you want, but I thought you might like to try this instead." It dawns on her that she doesn't really know Little Ven all that well either, despite the fact that he trusts her implicitly, and she finds herself hoping that she hasn't overstepped.

Ven grins and switches out his thumb for the pacifier. He mumbles something that sounds distinctly like 'thank you' around it, and then something else that is definitely:

"I love you, Mama," even if it is a little slurred by the pacifier.

"I love you too, baby." Aqua leans down to kiss his forehead one last time before heading for the door.

"Rest easy, little one." She says, and closes the door behind her.

**This one feels a little rushed to me at the end, but I couldn't think of a better way to introduce diapers into the story…let me know what you think; I kind of glossed over that part because I didn't want it to be awkward…**

**Anyway, we had some TerQua bonding, gonna be taking things a little slow on that front; and we got to see a little more of what goes on in Ven's head, and we'll see more of that in future chapters.**

**See you next chapter!**

**~Script**


End file.
